On the 9th of Dec. Bad Bad Hats made their third appearance at Colectivo’s Back Room. The venue was rustic, dimly lit and intimate. A beautiful silver electric guitar propped against a speaker reads: “Nancy Drew ’90.” This Band brings the nostalgia of the 1990s and quickens us to the timeless stories of love and breakups, atop electrifying pop/rock instrumentals. The audience felt much like a family affair with fans ranging from mature adults to teenagers. As the Band stood on stage tuning instruments and preparing for the performance, one fan gazes at Kerry Alexander (Lead Singer/songwriter and guitarist) and says, “She’s so cute, I want to be her best friend!” Alexander’s whimsical countenance and euphonic voice make her quite the endearing muse. Alexander says she thinks of Pop music as “magical and mathematical,” and that’s evident in the ingenious lyrical content and sound of the songs. Lyrics to their clever tune “1-800” read, “Call back, tell me where you’re at. Little fear is back, won’t let me go. Alone tonight, my 1-800 life. No one picks me up, they only let me go.” Here Alexander likens herself to those dreaded 1-800 calls we all know of. The Band collectively reveling in the enjoyment of their craft is what great performances are made of. The Band has been touring all summer long upon the release of their sophomore album “Lightning Round” released Aug. 3 2018.

On Dec. 1 the National Historic landmark, Turner Hall Ballroom, made way for the award-winning singer-songwriter and performer Raye Zaragoza. On the tail end of a summer-long tour opening for the band Dispatch, the 25-year-old, multinational (Native American, Mexican, Taiwanese and Japanese) Manhattan, New York, native is living her dream, walking in her purpose and using music for social change, one folk song at a time.

Her unique delivery of the melodic art of storytelling through music is awe-inspiring. Gracing the stage alone, armed with truth and a guitar, a near bystander clearly got more than he bargained for as he looked at me and said, “Wow, I’m impressed!” Though physically alone on the stage there is a sense of oneness that Zaragoza’s music brings to the room and to the world. Though often referred to as a protest/political songwriter (her song “In the River” influenced by the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline went viral in 2016), her music is an embodiment of the human experience

Photo by Shane W. Potter

And it’s no wonder, in preparation for her performances she has a ritual of grounding herself through stretching, taking time to check in with herself (at rest stops staying active on the road by jumping rope or hula hooping), remembering why she does this and reflecting on her “through line” saying, “It’s not about the notes, it’s not about the songs, it’s about the people and, yeah, the songs are that vehicle but it’s so much more about the people, the energy, the audience and our connection more so than anything else.” Her very first “real gig” was at The House of Blues in Los Angeles at age 19, performing before about 100 people, including many friends and family. That’s when she had a spine-shivering, overwhelming feeling of “this is it, I just knew in that moment; I am in service to this art form, this is what I was meant to be,” she said. That also explains her stage presence, very comfortable and down to earth. Her performance (coupled with the ambience of the venue) felt much like we were all sitting around a campfire amongst friends. Like the greatest of friends, Zaragoza wants the world to be a better place for us all. She also wants to be a voice for women of color.

Growing up she said, “I did not have that many heroes to look up to that were other women of color, and that breaks my heart. I’m using my voice as a way to promote others, to promote inclusion and to give women of color a seat at the table in the music industry.” She performed her crowd-moving song “Fight Like a Girl,” which she dedicates to “all the women warriors past, present and future fighting for our rights to our bodies, to our lives, to make our own choices as women.”Women and men alike in the crowd were amped. Zaragoza is a very powerful, driven young woman on a mission. She is currently writing her new album due to be released next year.

If a fire starts near you are you prepared to extinguish it? Students had the opportunity to learn about the features of fire extinguishers and to use one to put out a virtual fire at the Mequon campus on Oct. 10 and the West Allis campus on Oct. 24 during the MATC Safety Fair. Campus Public Safety officers were on hand to also assist students in signing up for RaveAlert, the school’s system to provide emergency and school-closing alert messages to students, faculty and staff.

Photo by Kerry LynchFire service employee Jeff Uhlenberg demonstrates the features and operation of a fire extinguisher to Bryana Trevino (left), Associate of Science student and Brianna Guember, Associate of Arts student.

Stormers player Lezar’Rhea Burnside (1) leaps into position to block a shot from an opposing Milwaukee School of Engineering JV player on Oct. 20. The Stormers won one of its sets, but lost the match. All home games are played at Alverno College.

Amber Buerger, Jeremy Marek, Jessica Delasky and Brianna Levine, members of the Interior Design Club at the West Allis campus, celebrated “National Apple Day.” They handed out several different types of apples and showcased some of their class projects to interested staff and students.

Noel Crowder, MATC Environmental Health and Water Quality student, poses at the model of a typical altar constructed by Latin American cultures at the Mequon campus on Oct. 31. The Day of the Dead is a celebration that originated with the Aztecs several thousand years ago. It is a time for remembering loved ones who have died. The altar, or ofrenda in Spanish, is constructed in homes, churches and cemeteries. The ofrenda, meaning “offering,” is composed of several symbolic elements: sugar skulls symbolize death that is always present, candles symbolize mourning, photographs of the departed and flowers are also traditional elements.

The musical “In the Heights” is based on the book by Quiara Alegría Hudes, with music and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda, who also wrote the popular musical, “Hamilton.”
This production of the show was performed at the Quadracci Powerhouse in the Milwaukee Repertory Theater, and was directed by May Adrales. It was the first time I saw a production written by Miranda and I was not disappointed.
The story is set in a neighborhood in Washington Heights, New York, during the hottest days of the summer. We follow Usnavi, who runs the local bodega with his lazy younger cousin Sonny, and their loving Abuela Claudia, the main maternal figure in their lives.
We then have the Rosario family, Camille and Kevin, who own the cab company, and their daughter Nina, who in the story had just come back from her first year at Stanford University; and of course the ladies at the salon, Daniela, Carla and Vanessa. One night while Usnavi is closing up, he and his friends realize that he sold a winning lottery ticket that was worth $96,000, and everyone starts imagining what they’d do if it had been their winning ticket.
Meanwhile, a forbidden romance ensues between Nina and Benny, a family friend who works dispatch for the Rosario’s cab business. As the drama ensues, the heat continues to increase, making tensions rise further.
Just as intense as the show’s drama is the music and choreography; there are an array of genres included in this musical, which include hip-hop, salsa and soul music. The flair of the lyrics and dancing add so much raw emotion to the story, it’s hard not to love every minute of it.
As an audience member, I felt jealous of the actors on stage because all I wanted to do was get out of my seat and dance with them. My favorite part of the show was the ending – I don’t want to spoil it for you, but it was happy, and it wrapped up in a way that made sense for the course of the story.
Overall I would give this show a five out of five stars, and I would encourage you to try to make it to a showing if you see one around again – you won’t regret it!

Seattle-based band Thunderpussy rocked Milwaukee at the Rave on Oct. 19. The crowd was young, energetic and enthusiastic. I’ve never witnessed a crowd that was so alive and in tune with a band’s music like this one. With every song opening with a drum solo, the crowd seemed in tune every second. Singing along with every word, it seemed everyone there were big fans.
Thunderpussy performed on the bar stage, surrounded by the fluorescent lighting across the venue, as well as the classic vinyls posted on the wall. When the band performed their hit song, “Speed Queen,” the house was rocking.
Thunderpussy sure does know how to engage the crowd and put on an amazing performance.

Pop singer Carlie Hanson graced the Eagles Ballroom with her catchy music and a memorable stage presence to match on Oct. 20.
The La Crosse native, who with Kim Petras served as an opener for Troye Sivan, began the show with “Why Did You Lie?”– a song with tropical elements that was met with approval by the audience. After this first song, Hanson informed the crowd that she is from La Crosse and a fan of the Milwaukee Brewers, which incited even more cheers.
The singer then performed “Toxins,” a new single that mixes organic instruments with the synth sounds that dominate her music. Hanson also got everyone’s hands waving with “Hazel,” a sad song about a hometown friend, and kept the momentum going with “Only One,” a danceable tune about a hesitant romantic partner.
“Us,” Hanson’s closing song, was introduced as a “f– – you anthem” and was met with a roaring applause at its end. The song’s unbothered message, paired with Hanson’s commanding energy, proved that she knows how to start a concert off with a bang. Suffice it to say that the 18-year-old is a musical force to be reckoned with.
Hanson is currently on tour with Troye Sivan. Fans can follow her on Instagram and Twitter @carliehanson and expect more great music from her soon.

The brand is what’s going to draw the audience to this slasher film. Even if you scare easily I think this film would be right up your alley, because it’s not scary in the traditional sense.
Michael Myers is still up to his antics of killing everything that moves, but the story between him and Laurie Strode is set at a new angle in this film.
Of course the predictability is there but there are some things you won’t be prepared for, like how funny the child actor Jibrail Nantambu is playing Julian. Although he only has a few lines he will have you laughing with each one.
The next surprise is the doctor who took over the care of Michael after the death of Dr. Loomis. He brings an unexpected twist to the show, which works out well in showing how a mind can become twisted.
My only criticism of the film is that in this movie Laurie has a daughter and not the son (John Tate) that we were introduced to in Halloween H20.
My overall mood is one of satisfaction after having seen the movie
Even though you could just about guess what was coming next, this film will leave you feeling that you have watched an original version because of the way the story plays out in the end.